Atlanta -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A small Georgia town may soon require every household to own a firearm -- a law that , if passed , would make it the second town in the state to mandate gun ownership .

City council members in Nelson , a town of 1,300 people north of Atlanta , unanimously approved the proposal at a meeting this week . Citizens now have a chance to review the proposal before the council takes it up again in April .

`` Basically this is a deterrent ordinance , '' Councilman Duane Cronic said at the meeting . `` It 's no more than putting a sign in your front yard saying that ` ADT protects this home . ' Now the person that may be there -LRB- checking -RRB- your home out to cause harm to you or your family to break into your house has to decide , ` When I break that door down , what 's on the other side of that door ? ' ''

The law would give every family the right to protect themselves and their property `` without worrying about prosecution for protecting themselves , '' Cronic told the meeting . He said the proposal was modeled on a similar law in nearby Kennesaw , Georgia , that has been on the books since 1982 .

Nelson Police Chief Heath Mitchell told council members the proposal is a great idea .

`` I think y' all are showing the people that you 're in full support of the Constitution , '' Mitchell said . `` And as far as the Second Amendment goes , that you stand behind it , you stand behind people 's rights . ''

The two-paragraph proposal reads , `` In order to provide for the emergency management of the city , and further in order to provide for and protect the safety , security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants , every head of household residing in the city limits is required to maintain a firearm , together with ammunition therefore . ''

People with physical or mental disabilities are exempt from the law , as are `` paupers , '' felons , and those who oppose gun ownership based on belief or religious doctrine .

Complete coverage : The gun debate

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Council members in Nelson plan a vote next month

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Nelson is a town of 1,300 people north of Atlanta

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It would be a `` deterrent ordinance , '' one council member says

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The town police chief supports the measure